CCG and Aquarius Fiberglass develop India’s First Fully Vacuum Infused Boat Hull

 

 

Aquarius Fiberglass, based in Goa, India, is the first Indian boat builder to develop an integrally guided vessel. It is a 15.65m fast interceptor boat using DIAB sandwich core materials. Composite Consulting Group (CCG), an independent subsidiary of the DIAB Group, provided full on-site technical support for the first boat construction to ensure that the composites design value was fully realized.

 

Aquarius – Pioneer in Composites Construction

 

The Indian boat industry has traditionally been dominated by steel and alloy construction. But there are exceptions. Aquarius Fiberglass, founded in 1995 by Mr. Ratnakar Dandekar, has a preference for advanced composites for boat construction. Aquarius started by working with reputable boat designers outside of India. However, it wasn’t long before the ambitious yard turned to designing and building in-house.

 

In the third quarter of 2014, Aquarius Shipyard won a contract to design and build a series of 50-foot (15.65m) fast interceptor boats with a top speed of 35 knots and to DNV GL certification standards. The boats will be built in India and sent overseas for coastal patrol and interdiction work.

 

 

New Contract Means New Possibilities

 

Mr Ratkanar had heard of vacuum infusion and was aware of its benefits for advanced composite boat construction. To introduce resin infusion to his shipyard, he contacted Composite Consulting Group (CCG), who he knew had extensive experience in this field. After some initial discussions with Mr Rimzath of CCG, Aquarius decided to try vacuum infusion on an 8-meter long pleasure boat. Mr Ratnakar hoped that this would prove that vacuum infusion boat building in India was a reality.

 

Aquarius again contacted CCG to help with the structural design of the boat to meet GL’s specifications. It was important that CCG could ensure that the vacuum infusion process could be implemented smoothly on site while also doing the hull structural design.

 

 

A Job Well Done

 

The core material was delivered in early January 2015 and construction began on January 23. Over a two-week period, Aquarius staff, under CCG’s guidance, implemented and successfully infused the hull, followed by the deck and bulkheads. New construction techniques meant that no plywood was used in the construction process. Where bolts or fasteners were required, Diab’s high-density core material was used instead. The core material is about half the weight of plywood, yet provides the same or better compressive strength, and has excellent bolt-on qualities.

 

“The first build was challenging as the entire hull was infused in one piece,” said Mr. Todd Henry, CCG’s Regional Manager for Asia Pacific. “The workers were extremely careful in the precision and placement of the core material matching and the staggered lap joints of the fiberglass, ensuring that the structural design was implemented exactly as required. This is never an easy task, and I am very pleased with the completion of this task, and I know that Aquarius is well positioned to continue on its own.”

 

High Hopes for the Future

 

Aquarius Fiberglass is currently preparing to build the remaining 10 boats and CCG will continue to provide support when and where required.

 

Mr. Ali of CCG commented: “We hope that the success of the Aquarius will encourage other players in the Indian boat market to follow this example to promote the boating industry in the region and demonstrate that we can build products as good as anyone else’s.”